The Conditionalist Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

XIII. Baptist Pastor Hatch Becomes Ardent Conditionalist

We close our impressive line of Conditionalist witnesses, spanning the centuries, by presenting the recent testimony of Rev. SIDNEY A. HATCH, of Portland, Oregon. A glimpse into his personal background is essential to an understanding of the revolution of concept on the immortality question that came into the life of this well-trained Baptist minister-along with its aftermath. Fortunately, he has left record both of the process and the results: CFF2 1029.4

“Upon graduation from a State university [University of California] I felt God was calling me to the ministry. Training for this work was begun, and then completed after military service during World War II. A B.D. degree was secured [from California Baptist Theological Seminary] in 1948, and a Th.M. degree [from Dallas Theological Seminary] in 1953, followed by two more years of graduate study, primarily in Hebrew [for a Th.D. at Dallas Theological Seminary].” ¹⁰⁵ CFF2 1029.5

1. TWO INCIDENTS START TRAIN OF THOUGHT

Two developments took place during his seminary days that started a train of thought from which Hatch could not escape. First, a student in class asked the professor of theology whether it was necessary for a minister of the gospel to believe in the traditional position of “eternal hell-fire torment of the lost.” The professor admitted that the “traditional view did seem harsh,” but added lamely that after all it was the “orthodox” view. This equivocal answer raised a question that persisted. CFF2 1030.1

The second factor was Hatch’s special study of Hebrew, particularly of the Pentateuch, and of such words as nephesh (“soul”). As a result, the traditional structure began to weaken and crumble. Gradually the light of “Life Only in Christ” began to dawn, and a satisfying solution was found for his problems over the nature and destiny of man. Erelong his doubts were resolved. He came firmly to believe that CFF2 1030.2

“Conditional immortality is a very simple and clear doctrine, and it resorts to no difficult theological or philosophical gyrations. It is the belief that man may become immortal on one condition and that is that he believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. This immortality, or everlasting life, shall then be put on at the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the believers, not before. On the negative side it is the belief that man does not possess any innate, inborn immortality of his own. Such can only be ‘the gift of God.’ This precious doctrine is sometimes simply called ‘life only in Christ.’” ¹⁰⁶ CFF2 1030.3

This strengthened his faith and gave him assurance. CFF2 1030.4

2. CHARGES LEAD To REVOLUTION OF LIFE

Meantime Hatch had become pastor of a Baptist church in Los Angeles. In the years that followed, Life in Christ became a vital part of his ministry. But, in time, outside pressures led some in his congregation to charge him with being a “soul-sleeper” and an “annihilationist” because he did not believe in persisting consciousness after death, and in Eternal Torment. The upshot of it all was this: CFF2 1030.5

“Ultimately, it led to several things: a change of pulpits, a change of denominations, a change of friends, the misunderstanding of many; even for a time it meant a change of vocation. But it also meant new light on the Word, a clearer grasp of the gospel, a greater appreciation of and dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ, a new and greater fervour to preach the true gospel, new friends, new fellowship, and a newly opened door of ministry. And through it all, never for a moment did I doubt the truth of this glorious message; rather, faith and devotion to it became stronger.” ¹⁰⁷ CFF2 1031.1

3. HATCH’S VIEWS EPITOMIZED IN SUBHEADS

In two major articles in Words of Life (official organ of the Conditional Immortality Association of Britain) appearing in 1962, Hatch epitomizes his conclusions in a series of topical subheads. He tells how CFF2 1031.2

1. “Conditional Immortality Explains What Man Is.” CFF2 1031.3

2. “Conditional Immortality Explains Where Man Goes at Death.” CFF2 1031.4

3. “Conditional Immortality Explains What the Gospel Is.” CFF2 1031.5

4. “Conditional Immortality Explains Why Christ Must Return.” CFF2 1031.6

5. “Conditional Immortality Explains What God Is.” CFF2 1031.7

Under the first heading, Hatch, in commenting on Genesis 2:7, says:
“The Word of God says he (man) is a creature formed from the dust of the ground into which God breathed the breath of life. The result of this creative action is ‘a living soul’ or ‘a living being.’ Not an ‘immortal soul!’ Nowhere is this expression found in Scripture. CFF2 1031.8

“Nor does it say that God breathed into Adam a soul, whether immortal or not. The verse must be read carefully. God ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’” ¹⁰⁸ CFF2 1031.9

That was foundational. CFF2 1031.10

4. NOT IN SPIRIT-WORLD AFTER DEATH

Under number two—“Where man goes at death”—contending that “the first four chapters of Genesis are the theological seed-plot of the Bible,” Hatch declares: “There is nothing here to suggest that Adam would find himself, after death, in some sort of spirit world.” ¹⁰⁹ CFF2 1031.11

The Conditionalist “chooses to believe” Genesis 3:19. CFF2 1032.1

5. DEATH IS COMPLETE ABSENCE OF LIFE

After dealing incisively with certain stock problem passages-such as the “parable of Lazarus” (Luke 16), the “thief on the cross” (Luke 23:40), and Paul’s “absent from the body” statement (2 Corinthians 5:8)-Hatch next discusses the basic “death” and “life” issue of Romans 6:23. Here is his forthright position: CFF2 1032.2

“Death here means death, and life here means life. But in the popular way of presenting this verse ‘death’ is supposed to mean life somewhere in time or space in separation from God. And ‘life’ here is supposed to mean a life in the presence of God. CFF2 1032.3

“But the issue here is not life in one place or life in another place. The issue is life or death, the complete possession of life or the complete absence of it. The definition that eternal death is a form of eternal life in separation from God is not in the Bible’!” ¹¹⁰ CFF2 1032.4

That likewise is foundational. CFF2 1032.5

6. “PERISH” IS UTTER LOSS OF ALL LIFE

Turning next to the fate of the wicked, Hatch is very specific:
“Perish means the utter loss and destruction of any form of life, hence death. What right have we to read into this word some pagan notion of life in a spirit world of the damned? The Greek word here is apollumi, which means to kill, or to destroy, or to utterly destroy.” ¹¹¹ CFF2 1032.6

The wicked are not “kept alive somewhere and tortured forever“:
“According to conditional immortality the gospel issue is very simple: Life or death. To say that it is life in one place or another place is to reduce our Lord to nothing more than a sort of universal housing administrator, assigning ‘immortals’ to one place or another. It is to deny our Lord’s claim that He is the resurrection and the life, for men would already have life. In short, it is to succumb to the Satanic lie that men do not really die (Genesis 3:4).” ¹¹² CFF2 1032.7

Logic and consistency are invoked:
“I therefore also believe in conditional immortality because it preserves the clear-cut gospel issue from Genesis to Revelation. For example, if eternal torment, not death, is the penalty of sin then the great promise of Genesis 3:15 would have to read, ‘And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall torture forever thy head, and thou shalt torture forever his heel.’” ¹¹³ CFF2 1032.8

7. ETERNAL TORMENT INVOLVES INCONGRUITIES

Pressing this point to its logical conclusion, Hatch asserts:
“If eternal torment, not death, is the penalty for sin many other [Biblical] types, illustrations, and parables would have to be changed. The sacrificial animals of the Old Testament should never have been slain and burned; rather, they should have been kept alive, caged up, and subjected to some type of unending torment. David should never have slain Goliath and cut off his head. He should have brought him back alive, imprisoned him somewhere, and tortured him indefinitely. In the parable of the wheat and tares the tares should never be bound in bundles to be burned up; rather they should simply be bound.” ¹¹⁴ CFF2 1033.1

He adds such telling points as that Christ, who paid the full penalty for our sin, did not suffer “unending everlasting torture or torment.” Thus, he holds, Conditionalism “preserves the clear-cut and simple issue of the gospel and of the ages, life or death-complete perishing.” ¹¹⁵ CFF2 1033.2

And Hatch states, incisively, that God does not “maintain a chamber of horrors somewhere in the universe throughout eternity.” ¹¹⁶ These are samplings of his views. CFF2 1033.3

8. ETERNAL TORMENT OPENS DOOR TO CHAIN OF ERRORS

Hatch closes the section with these telling words:
“Everlasting destruction does not mean everlasting torment, for then nothing is destroyed; it is simply preserved, kept alive, in torment. Let destruction mean destruction is the plea of the Conditionalist.” ¹¹⁷ CFF2 1033.4

“Finally, let the evangelical Christian consider that if he persists in his eternal torment theory, which includes the pagan idea of the immortality of the soul, he opens the door to all sort of vagaries such as reincarnation, transmigration of souls, spiritism, purgatorial theories, or universal reconciliation.” ¹¹⁸ CFF2 1033.5

That is a truism well stated. Space forbids reproducing his strong “Conclusion,” with supporting citations. CFF2 1033.6

9. IMMORTALITY AT ADVENT THE GLORIOUS PROSPECT

In an earlier article in an American journal, Present Truth Messenger, written while Hatch was still in the Baptist ministry, he said this of the “Blessed Provision“: CFF2 1033.7

“Our everlasting and immortal God [1 Timothy 1:17; 1 Timothy 6:16] has provided for mortal man a way of securing this immortality. We do not already possess it. Death is very real and still in our midst. But there is a way to achieve victory over death and the grave.” ¹¹⁹ CFF2 1034.1

Then, turning to the “Blessed Prospect” he declares:
“It is at His (Christ’s) coming again that the provision of ‘life and immortality’ shall be realized in its fulness. So we have the blessed prospect: Awaking from the sleep of death and putting on this glorious resurrection life. How clear the Bible is! How glorious our prospect!” ¹²⁰ CFF2 1034.2

Discussing further the “Blessed Hope” of “resurrection from the dead at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Hatch closes with this thought: “Everything hinges on His coming again. It is at that moment that we shall stand up again in resurrection glory.” ¹²¹ CFF2 1034.3

These are some of the reasons why Baptist Sidney A. Hatch became an ardent Conditionalist, and why multiplied thousands of other sincere and thoughtful truth seekers are traversing the same pathway and steadily coming to similar conclusions. It is a definite trend. There is an unquestionable, widespread ground swell of revolt under way against the un-Biblical traditional position of Innate Immortality of the soul and the Eternal Torment of the wicked. CFF2 1034.4

MAJOR 20TH CENTURY WITNESSES TO CONDITIONALISM—SECTION C

No.	Page	Name	Date	Place	Religion	Position	Nature of Man	Intermediate State	Punishment of Wicked
1	936	Heller, James J.	1958	America	Moravian	Dean (Moravian Col.)	Man wholly mortal	No disembodied souls
2	940	Gill, Theo. A.	1958	America	Presbyterian	Ed.—pres. (S.F. Sem.)	No immortal souls	No discarnate souls
3	941	Canadian Un. Ch.	1959	Canada	M.E.—Pres.—Con.	Authorized Comm.	No natural immort.	Some hold to sleep	No everlast. tor.
4	947	Von Allmen, J.-J.	1958	Switzerland	Reformed Ch.	Group Ref. work	No innate immort.	Unconscious sleep
5	948	Burnier, J.	1958	Switzerland		Group Ref. work			No eternal suffering
6	949	Michaeli, F.	1958	Switzerland			No separable soul
7	949	Jacob, Ed.	1958	Switzerland			Man mortal creature	Life is derived
8	950	Mehl-Koehnlein, H	1958	France			No independ. exist.
9	951	Pidoux, G.	1958	Switzerland			Not created immortal		Effects eternal
10	951	Baudraz, F.	1958	Switzerland				Awaits resurrection
11	952	De Berry, Keith	1959	England	Anglican	Rector (St. Algate’s)	Soul is destructible		Total destruction
12	953	Strawson, Wm.	1959	England	Methodist	Prof. (Handsworth)	No inherent immort.	Sleep and awakening	Extinction of life
13	957	Simpson, James Y.	1922	Britain	Presbyterian	Prof. (Edinburgh)	No inherent immort.	Immort. through res.	ceases to be
14	959	Korff, F. W. A.	1887-1942	Netherlands	Dutch Ref.	Prof. (Amsterdam)	No innate immort.	New life at res.
15	960	Van Niftrik, G. E.	1948-49	Netherlands	Dutch Ref.	Prof. (Amsterdam)	Man is mortal	No surviving entity
16	961	Holden, J. Stuart		Britain	Anglican	Edu.—author		All dead are asleep
17	963	Andrews, Charles	1957	America	Baptist	Pastor (R.I.)	Gr. innatism substituted	No separated souls
18	966	Michalson, Carl	1957	America	Methodist	Prof. (Drew)	No innate immort.	No discarnate exist.
19	968	Princell, J. G.	1845-1915	America	Evan. (Sw.F.C.)	Pres. (S.B.Inst.)			Annihilation
20	969	Sceats, Frank W.	1883	Britain	Methodist	Pres. (Cond. Miss.)—ed.	Man wholly mortal	Asleep in death	Ult. total destruction
21	970	Keet, Bennie B.	1945	South Af.	Dutch Ref.	Prof. (Stetlenbosch)	Soul not immortal
22	970	Marais, Ben	1957	South Af.	Dutch Ref.	Prof. (Pretoria U.)	No discarnate souls	Not in Heaven
23	971	Heyns, J. A.	1960	South Af.	Dutch Ref.	Pastor (Rondebosch)	Soul not immortal	Whole man raised
24	972	Richards, H. M. S.	1963	America	S.D. Advent.	Broadcaster	Wholly mortal	Awaits resurrection	Complete destruction
25	979	Fagal, Wm. A.	1963	America	S.D. Advent.	Telecaster	Only mortal	Unconscious sleep	Cease to exist
26	986	Vandeman, G. E.	1963	America	S.D. Advent.	Evan.—telecaster	Man is mortal	Cessation of life	Extinction
27	993	Grouse, Moses C.	1960	America	Advent Chr.	Prof. (Aurora)	Man wholly mortal	Death is sleep	Ult. total destruction
28	999	Swaim, J. Carter	1960	America	Un. Presby.	Editor—educator	Man only immortable	Gr. Dualism un-Biblical
29	1001	Knight, G. A. F.	1960	Scot.—U.S.	Ch. of Scotland	Prof. (McCormick)	Immort. from Plato	Immort. through res.
30	1004	Cocks, H. F. L.	1960	England	Congregation.	Principal (Western)	No natural immort.	Immort. through res.
31	1004	Davis, Charles	1960	England	Rom. Catholic	Prof. (St. Edm’ds)—ed.	Immort. not Biblical
32	1005	Hendry, Geo. S.	1960	Scot.—U.S.	Presbyterian	Prof. (Princeton)	Immort. not Biblical	Reward not at death
33	1013	Bateson, B. L.	1961	England	Anglican	Rector (Holton)	No immortal soul	No independent life	Utter, Ult. destr.
34	1016	Schweitzer, G. K.	1961-62	America	Baptist	Prof. (Tenn.)	No immort. of soul	Total man res.
35	1017	Kearney, C. J.	1962	America	Adv. Chr.	Editor	Man wholly mortal	Wholly unconscious	Complete destruction
36	1018	De Purv, Roland	1946	Swiss—Afr.	Fr. Ref.	Prof. (Prot. Sem.)	No immort. of soul	Immort. at res.
37	1019	Mehl, Roger	1953	France	Reformed	Prof. (Strasbourg)	Mortality of soul	Soul dies at death
38	1020	Crespy, G. S.	1950	France	Reformed	Professor	No imprisoned soul
39	1020	De Coppet	1956	France	Reformed	Pastor	Immort. conditional		Total destruction
40	1021	Antomarchi-Doria	1949			Former Priest			No eternal torment
41	1021	La Morte, Andre					Immort. conditional
42	1021	Von Hoff, E.	1952						Entire extinction
43	1021	Berdiaeff, N. A.	1933	Russia			No inherent immort.
44	1022	Bertoud, Aloys	1910	France				Dead are asleep
45	1022	Barth, Karl	1958	Germany	Swiss Ref.	Theologian—prof.	Wholly mortal	No discarnate souls	Faces eternal death
46	1022	Carrel, Dr. Alexis	1950	France		Physician	No independent soul
47	1027	Vaucher, Alfred	1957	France	S.D. Advent.	Prof. (Collognes)	Man wholly mortal	Death unconscious sleep	Wicked totally destr.
48	1028	Hatano, Seiichi	1949	Japan	Presbyterian	Pres. (Tamagawa U.)	Soul not immortal	Res. from non-being
49	1029	Hatch, Sidney A.	1962	America	Bap.—Adv. Chr.	Pastor	Immort. conditional	Unconscious in death	Utter loss of life

FACTS REVEALED BY CHART C-ENDING WITH 1963

1. The same general diversity in geographical spread continues in segment C, in Old World and New, Africa, the Far East, and even Australia. Specifically it involves the United States and Canada, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, South Africa, and Japan.

2. Denominationally, it embraces Anglican, Church of Scotland, Methodist, Presbyterian, Congregational, Reformed, Dutch Reformed, Baptist, Lutheran Advent Christian, Evangelical, Moravian, Seventh-day Adventist, and even Roman Catholic.

3. There are Conditionalist Dutch professors at Amsterdam, British editors and authors, and rectors at Holton and St. Algates, with professors at Headsmouth and Edinburgh, and a principal at Western. There are American pastors, editors, a San Francisco Seminary president, professors at Drew, Aurora and Tennessee, and an Institute president. To these are to be added Swiss and French professors, a Japanese Christian University president, and South African professors at Stetlenbosch, Pretoria, and Rondebosch. They constitute an impressive company.

4. A special noteworthy item is a Canadian authorized report by a Methodist-Presbyterian-Congregational Committee. Radio and television now play their part. And such a noted figure as Dr. Karl Earth makes a significant statement.

5. A new mass communications feature for Conditionalism is noteworthy. For example, the radio work of Seventh-day Adventists is now conducted over 1,710 stations throughout the world, with 2,371 broadcasts weekly in 31 languages. And whenever the nature and destiny of man is presented it is invariably the Conditionalist position. Their television programs are likewise carried over 249 TV stations. And their paralleling Bible correspondence courses operate in 72 languages, with approximately a half million enrollees annually. Such is one mass communications feature of current Conditionalism.

6. On the nature of man side, practically all witnesses stress the total mortality of man. He is not innately, inherently immortal, has no independent spirit existence, was not created immortal. His soul is not indestructible, but it was created for immortality. His immortality is consequently conditional. No soul is imprisoned in a body. And man’s life is a derived life. The testimony is clear.

7. On the intermediate state aspect, there is no surviving entity, no separate existence of soul or spirit. All the dead are in unconscious sleep. They sleep until the resurrection awakening, and are not now in Heaven or Hell. Our rewards come not at death, but at the Second Advent. As the whole man dies so the whole man is made alive at the resurrection. Greek Innatism and Persian Dualism are both declared un-Biblical.

8. As to the punishment of the wicked feature, there is to be total destruction and loss of all life-ceasing to be, extinction of the entire being, ultimate annihilation, with the fate fixed at death. It is the effects that are eternal.

9. SUMMARIZING: It will be seen that the combined testimony of all three twentieth-century charts—A, B, and C—is in continuing harmony. The phrasing varies but the essence is essentially the same. There is not only harmony of position geographically, on both sides of the Atlantic, but also in the Far East, “down under” in Australia, and in South Africa as well—some 18 countries being cited. In other words, wherever Conditionalism is found it is basically the same. Some stress all three major principles of Conditionalism. Some in their presentations, press on only one or two of the determining features. But it is the Conditionalist concept.

10. Moreover, it makes little difference with which denomination the witness is affiliated-and there are some 22 in all. The Conditionalist speaks essentially the same fundamental language. And similarly with the various professions or vocations represented-some 26 in all.

11. The testimony here presented is not, of course, complete. We had to terminate our quest with 1963. But new voices are continually breaking forth. And we are aware that we have not covered all of those who have gone on record. Moreover, many lesser witnesses always echo the prominent testimony of others before or about them. The evidence is broader than the charts might at first seem to indicate.

The Shape of Things to Come

Turning from the past and present to the future, we believe that Conditionalism is bound to grow. But so will persistent opposition thereto. A por-tentious conflict is bound to come-and that before long. The eerie forces of Spiritualism, augmented by the Eastern occult (covered in succeeding chapters), building upon the traditional postulate of Immortal-Soulism entrenched in the churches, will increasingly penetrate the ranks of nominal Protestantism, as well as Roman Catholicism, in a fatal union of deception. But truth is destined to triumph in the end. That is obviously the shape of things to come.